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THE 

TEACHER'S OLD 
CHAIR 




JOHN B. GABLE 



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THE 

TEACHER'S OLD 

CHAIR 

AND 

THE SQUIRREL 

BY 
JOHN B. CABLE 



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PRINTED BY 

THE ROYCROFTERS 

EAST AURORA 

N.Y. 



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Copyright 1918. John B. Cable 



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THE 

TEACHER'S OLD 

CHAIR 



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jT fS school is nearly to an end, and 

5.^ H closes Friday afternoon ; 

We each will have a piece to speak and 

then will give a little room 
For this old chair; you call it mine, 

as in it sitting, oft I be 
And to a teacher, nice it is; this kind 

provision made for me. t/ > 

As all are through and did so well, I 

introduce my Mr. Chair, 
Who will be pleased to speak to you, 

in broken tongue ; with accent rare. 
About his life ; to you no doubt a curious 

story it will seem. 
Because his life was not as yours, a 

playground and a summer's dream. 




Dear Scholars : I, this old, old chair, 
and standing here for many a day. 

Will tell you of my birth and life ; give 
good attention all, I pray, 

And follow close my truthful tale, be- 
cause deep interest you will find 

In what I did and what I wore and what 
developed through my mind. 

My father was a giant great ; they called 

him Oak; was large and strong. 
Therefore kind nature showed the way 

to bring the future life along, 
Which through an acorn, first I was ; 

my coat was smooth ; I wore a cap ; 
A little crown it seemed to me, and nicer 

far than any hat. 

When I had taken needed food, to make 

me plump and round and neat, 
The Lady in the moon looked down and 

said to me in accent sweet; 
You have a mission, little man; you 

should not live for idle show. 
Because you are no butterfiy, and to 

your work should wisely go. 



V' T* FROST one night was handed 
^ § down, which touched what you 

might call my pen; 
And being ripe, as people say, it 

** nipped " the feeble little stem 
That held me to the generous branch, 

and fed me all the summer through. 
But when the sun had found the frost, 

I broke away and bade adieu. 



And arrow -like I shot to earth, and I 

was never found alone. 
Because all things had been prepared 

for comfort, in my rustic home. 
I looked about and saw the leaves ; 

they made me such a lovely bed 
That to go back to dizzy heights, I never 

would, I frankly said. 



The squirrels jumped and played about, 

their little stories they would tell 
Of how they v/atched me days ago, 

and how they saw me when I fell, 
And while they thought I frightened 

was ; that probably my head would 

split, 
They truly knew no harm would come ; 

that harmed I would not be, a bit. 



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I wished to rest, and this I did; my 

lovely home, my charming bed, 
Filled every want my heart desired, 

and every wish within my head. 
The storms came on, I sweetly slept; 

beneath a mantle white I lay; 
They called it snow ; it was as pure as 

incense on a summer's day. 



'P- 



When months had gone and spring had 

come, with ecstacy my heart had 

welled ; 
My coat no longer was a fit ; the threads 

no longer firmly held 
But gave away; so strange it seemed; 

I hoped my crown was firm and 

tight, 

^11^; Yet curiously it almost seemed, a soul 
iT?^-.. within was seeking light. 



In this I seemed to have no voice ; 

kind Nature, faithful to her task 
^ Was working out what God designed ; 

I need not any questions ask; 
But be submissive, for the time was 

creeping on, and come it would 
When I should fill the place designed ; 

as father, v»^ho a giant stood. 




My inner heart, a spark contained ; 

the germ we recognize as life ; 
Although I had been living still, the 

fact thereof was never rife ; 
But as a bud about to burst, that all 

the world might know and see 
The workings of a Master mind; so 

strangely sweet; a mystery. 



A little tendril, or a shoot, to ease my 

heart was searching deep; 
In gentle way, to find a place, and 

silently its way did creep 
Until it found the one designed ; where 

mother earth had stored away 
A morsel for the hungry mouth; here 

I would spend a life -long day. 

It ate and thrived, as well it might; 
earth's sacred table was its own; 

A worthy heir had it become; pro- 
nounced by One upon the Throne, 

And strong it waxed; a tender stem 
at first, and still it seemed to me 

Was perfect in its woodland garb ; or 
as a little school-boy tree. 





The changing seasons brought it joy; 

the springtime and the summer 

too; 
The autumn when it lost its coat; yet 

left no thought of being blue ; 
Crisp winter was its time of rest ; gained 

strength in every stubborn storm, 
And I will take the pronoun now; I 

ne'er was stronger since was born. 

I looked at others of my age ; I strove 

to keep with them a-pace ; 
My lineage was good indeed, and win 

I would in life's wise race; 
I studied well the other shrubs, but 

studied most what seemed to me 
The lesson which I best should know ; 

how to upbuild my own good tree. 

My cover now was known as bark and 

rough it seemed to those outside. 
But knowing what reposed beneath, 

their verdict I have not denied. 
But kept along with heart and limbs ; 

the taunts fell lightly on my ear, 
,,p #While others talked, I harder worked; 

dismissed I not the thought of 



>^ cheer. 



As I was strong, the sweetest birds amid 
my branches built their nests, 

And reared their young, which sang to 
me, when they were given music- 
vests. 

They held their concerts every morn, 
as close there beamed a mirrored 
pool. 

At which they drank, and then agreed, 
with other birds to go to school. 






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X THINK perhaps three hundred 
years, the sunshine and the 
shadows came; 
The showers and the rainbow too; 
that brightened up, if it should rain, 
And when kind Nature had discerned 
that I no greater here would grow, 
Some men were sent to cut me down, 
and to the mill must truly go. 

With axes keen they chopped and 

chopped; with them it seemed to 

be an art; 
I weakened when they reached what 

seemed the very tendrils of my 

heart ; 
No longer I the forests pride ; no longer 

I the monarch strong; 
No longer should my dancing leaves, 

sing to the breeze their summer 

song ; 

I fell; and with a deep, sad moan, I 

heavy fell upon the ground; 

^1^ The woods, lamenting as it seemed, 

carried about the solemn sound ; 

I The birds and squirrels changed their 

tune in reverence it seemed for me. 

For I had fallen as they said ; yet fallen 

as a noble tree. 



They sawed me up in logs 't is true ; 
in lengths that they could haul 
away, 

And had they not, remember this, 
I had not been with you today; 

Because, except in lesser form, con- 
flicting forces may not fill 

Their coffers through our precious lives, 
and take us to a dusty mill. 



They placed me on a carriage smooth; 
it seemed to me unwritten law; 

It took me to some naughty teeth, in 
what was wisely termed a saw; 

It sang and buzzed and whirled along, 
and slashed me to the very heart. 

In slabs and planks and boards like- 
wise ; identity had lost its art. 



A planer then they put me through, to 

quite remove the roughness left 
By cruel teeth, that ruffled up; that 

gave me neither joy or rest. 
But man is wise, he seems to feel, 

where trees at last are sure to go. 
Yet often in his weakness guessed, if 

wisdom shall his pathway show 



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Yes, I was quarter-sawed they said, 

and that meant something fine, 

indeed, 
And I was sought throughout the town ; 

wood-workers all were now in need 
Of flawless timber; smooth and nice. 

Until that time I had not spoke. 
I simply said, my searching friend, one 

day you lunched beneath an oak. 

Beneath the branches of an oak, and 

they were just a part of me ; 
We both were one, and every part that 

went to make the giant tree ; 
I shielded you from sun and shower, 

upon my plot I gave you rest. 
But now I am at your command, do 

unto me as seemeth best. 

Said he I prize your very worth; your 

reason and your meekness too 
And I, a man in truest sense, will only 

justice with you do ; 
He took me to a busy shop, where men 

were dressed in white it seems ; 
But each had spoke his little piece, 

and very fev/ were in their teens. 



They trimmed m^e in peculiar way ; 

bored holes and filled with wooden 

pegs. 
They polished me ; I fairly shone ; they 

built me up with jointless legs; 
A strong support was built around the 

rear: that seemed a little nack, 
Designed, the workman said to me, 

to well support a weary back. 

When I was finished, as they said, 

I was the King Bee of the day; 
Directors of a District came, and paid 

the price ; took me away 
To where you children come to school ; 

to learn the book ; to use the pen ; 
To speak your piece in after years ; 

when youth is passed; when you 

are men. 

Now, I, this old and soiled chair, have 
told the story of my birth, 

And how I battled many years, to hold 
my place upon the earth. 

And if you think your life is hard; 
if little worries change your hair; 

Remember well the piece I spoke. Re- 
member well the Teacher's Chair, 



^' / \ 





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THE SQUIRREL 

% 

V^^IS little world is as dear to him, 

\ J5 no doubt as mine to me ; 

He capers about for his winter's store, 

'neath a great old chestnut tree 
That has kept him waiting for many 

months for the promised store 

ahead 
And he really believed, if he kept to 

work, through winter he would be 

fed. 

With his ** clever ** claws he can climb 

a tree, and sauce you half-way up ; 
Will scold and sputter and dare you 

climb, with your talked-of loving 

cup. 
His wisdom-cap is fitting close ; he has 

learned his lesson well 
And is more than pleased to repeat to 

you, if given a chance to tell. 



His teeth are as sharp as little blades, 

the Damascus sort you know, 
Which hold an edge in the autumn time 

and even through ice and snow ; 
And a little boquet he always has, that 

rainbow-like bends down 
Very close to his coy little ears ; well 

up on his head; his crown. 



And his little children he teaches well ; 
they each must their lesson learn. 

And that is to gather their own sweet 
crumbs, and thereby a living earn, 

For the fathers and mothers often said, 
they were taught and always found 

They could not do as the sweet school- 
marms, congenially board around. 



'^I 



When I see a squirrel with winter store, 

all nicely housed away; 45^^ 

I think, what a lovely fellow you, to 

prepare for a winter's day. 
I would not rob you of what you have, 

except were a robber I, 
And if I did, I would get my pay in the 

** sweet " of the by-and-by. 




Go on, little fellow, and spread your 

board for your jolly family dear 
And so far as the writer can intercede, 

nothing you have to fear; 
For the God that planted the chestnut 

tree, was a God who is just and 

true 
And therefore he bade it produce the 

nuts, for your little ones and you. 




QOETRY reveals to us the ' 
loveliness of Nature, brings 
back to us the freshness of 
youthful feelings, revives the relish 
of simple pleasures, refines us and 
strengthens our interest in human 
nature by vivid delineations of its 
tenderest and softest feelings, and 
through the brightness of its vision 
helps faith to lay hold on future life. 

JOHN B. CABLE'S Book 

^t (god % %n and ^tlin l^nmn 

does this. He has taken things 
vulgarized by everybody's use and 
glorified them by his handling, j 

tl The Roycrofters have printed 
and bound it — another incentive 
to the book-lover to buy it. 

It is TWO DOLLARS 

Address : THE ROYCROFTERS 
East Aurora &^ &^ New York 




r> 018 602 391 _^ __ 



